


Double Dates and Doubts

by writingfromdarkplaces



Series: Love's Illusions [3]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Flashbacks, Negotiations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-15
Packaged: 2018-08-30 21:45:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8550268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingfromdarkplaces/pseuds/writingfromdarkplaces
Summary: Abby asks Jake and Ellie to double date, and they have to come up with a plan.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I was going to write a follow-up to Redeeming the Past, I was. Then I got a little stuck coming up with the case that I wanted to work more of the recovery and other things around, so I gave into this universe again. The concept is so much fun, but then again, I am a sucker for friends that fall into a lot more.
> 
> Though... I must admit I'm not really a shipper for Abby/Burt. I think I'd better include that as a bit of a disclaimer.
> 
> I do love Bert the hippo. That counts for something, right?

* * *

“I want details,” Abby said, and Bishop frowned at her. “Of the party? Hello, you went out like a princess, and you had a hot prince in an expensive tux. I know that might not seem like much to you because you've been married to said prince for years, but I think you may have rekindled some of the passion that night, if you know what I mean.”

Bishop grimaced. “Not really. It was... awkward, actually.”

“Awkward? When he was so totally staring at you like he'd never seen you in a dress before and couldn't get over how beautiful you were?” Abby asked, feeling a bit confused. She knew what she'd seen on Jake's face—even Tony had noticed how pretty Ellie looked, but Tony didn't do married women, which was good. “Come on. That deserves explanation.”

“It's just... We ended up separated after dinner, and I couldn't find him for half the night,” Bishop admitted. “That... was so not how it was supposed to go.”

“Well, then, you need a dinner where no one else can interfere,” Abby said. Ellie frowned. “I know—come to dinner with me and Burt. It would be awesome. I've never actually double dated with anyone from work before. Tony never keeps a girl for very long, and while McGee is super sweet, there's always this little awkwardness because we dated ourselves once. Years ago, and we're both completely over it.”

Bishop shook her head. “It's not the same. Jake and I—”

“Are married. I know, but that's just more reason to hang out,” Abby said. Bishop gave her a look, and Abby shook her head. “Come on. It's for science.”

“For science?”

“I need to see how Burt reacts,” Abby said, not offering any more explanation for that. She didn't want to give it. That was complicated on a level she didn't know that she wanted. She didn't do commitment, and she had reasons for that. “For science.”

“Right.”

“Fine. I'll just go over your head,” Abby told her, and she went to the phone, dialing a number she'd looked up earlier. “I'm calling him.”

“Abby, you can talk to Burt any time you want—”

“I know I can, but I'm not calling Burt,” Abby said. “I think you should tell him to invest in one of those things where the music plays when you call because a regular ring is so boring and he's not the boring type—”

“You are not calling Gibbs about this. And he would never put one of those on his phone.”

“No, but I think Jake would,” Abby said, rewarded with Bishop staring at her in complete horror. “We'll make sure it's a good one, though, trust me.”

Bishop started to protest, but Abby shushed her as she heard someone on the other end of the line. She waited, making sure it wasn't just a voicemail message, but one word was not a message at all. She reached over and put the phone on speaker.

“Jake, it's Abby,” she said. “Bishop and I were just talking, and I decided that you two are coming out with me and Burt.”

“Bert the stuffed hippo that farts?” Jake asked, making Abby laugh with delight. She hadn't thought that Bishop had shared that particular detail with her husband. “That would be... interesting, I suppose, though I don't think that—”

“You are officially awesome as well as adorable,” Abby told him. “Okay, so Ellie said it was all disappointing being separated from you at dinner last night, so I say you two are coming out to dinner with me and Burt the park ranger—not that I can't bring the hippo, because I'm so there—and we're going to have a nice time instead of the disaster last night supposedly was.”

“I didn't say it was a disaster,” Bishop protested. “I—I was just disappointed that we ended up separated for half the night. You already know that. I did have a good time. You were so sweet about the dancing—it wasn't a disaster.”

“Ooh, more details,” Abby said. “That she did not share. So... dinner. You, Bishop, me, and Burt. This is happening. Tomorrow night? Yeah, I think tomorrow works. Unless you think your work will be a problem...?”

“Um...”

“You and I can discuss it later,” Bishop told him, reaching over to end the call.

Abby looked at her. “I should be mad at you, but that just means that you have to tell me all about the dancing.”

Bishop flinched.

* * *

“So I thought perhaps talking this out would be better in person and not over the phone,” Jake said, glancing toward the other elevator. He hoped no one would come through it because he wasn't sure he could take that right now. “Lunch, maybe? We can go to Chez Nicole and let you eat half the menu again.”

She winced. “I did do that, didn't I?”

“It's part of your charm,” he told her, immediately wishing he could take it back. He had been a worried and a lot impressed by how much she could eat when they first started working together, and that hadn't exactly changed. It was just that he'd never voiced that aloud before.

“It is?” Ellie asked, her face slightly red. “I... I wouldn't have thought it was even close to charming. Tony and McGee joke about it, but it seems a lot more like something someone would be concerned by—there's even been mentions of having me studied before.”

Jake shrugged. “You were there last night, right? You saw how little people ate. That's what I grew up with. I admire people—women—who actually eat.”

She smiled at him. “Well, then, I guess my appetite shouldn't bother you too much.”

At all, he almost told her, but this was awkward enough. She grabbed her coat and came around the desk. He walked with her to the elevator, both relieved and disappointed that she hadn't taken his arm this time. He was almost used to that, and it was a problem.

This whole fake relationship was a problem. He'd never thought it would be, but then he had not realized that his friendship with Ellie was as conflicted as it was. They were coworkers, colleagues, maybe companions. Not lovers. Not anything close to it. They had a professional relationship. That was it. Nothing more. Not before this... favor that was well out of control.

“A part of me thinks that I should be a little mad at you.”

“Excuse me?”

“I know,” Ellie said. “This is my mess, and I made it, but then I think about that time we went to eat and you gave me the advice about the ring... and there's a part of me that would shift all the blame to you even if it doesn't belong to you. At all.”

Jake grimaced. He supposed, in a way, she was right. This was all his fault.

* * *

_“I shouldn't even have to ask about this,” Ellie muttered, reaching for her water glass. She took a sip from it and set it back, shaking her head. She knew she'd pick it back up in a minute. Her need to stress eat was in overdrive, and she'd already finished off the bread the waitress had brought a few minutes ago._

_“The sexual harassment policy is pretty clear,” Jake agreed. He was quieter than usual, and Ellie would have asked him about it if her mind could focus on anything besides this report she had to make and did not want to make. She'd thought putting the guy off gently was enough, then she was a little less gentle, and she'd already talked to Flynn about it, but it seemed like none of that was enough._

_“Clear enough that I shouldn't have to be discussing it with you.”_

_Jake choked on his water. “What?”_

_She winced. “I meant... I shouldn't have to ask you for legal options and what I can do about this. I shouldn't be asking if you think I have grounds for... a restraining order. I mean, I could just hit him. Again. That might actually get through to him this time.”_

_Jake shook his head. “No, that's a bad idea. Even if you can defend yourself and would, he could easily turn the tables on you and claim you attacked him unprovoked.”_

_“I didn't.” Ellie sighed, leaning back against the booth. “You think people would believe him.”_

_“You do, too, or you wouldn't have asked for my help,” Jake reminded her. “Look, it's a difficult situation. He has a certain level of power and respect around the agency, and he tried that first, right?”_

_She nodded. Evans had definitely implied that he could make or break her career, which she'd ignored. Flynn had told her not to worry about it, but it was clear Flynn didn't have enough authority to get rid of the guy, even if his conduct was completely against agency policy._

_“So we make sure that you're covered in every way possible,” Jake said. “You've filed an official complaint, haven't you?”_

_She nodded. “And nothing seems to have happened, which is why I came to you.”_

_“Well, to that end you might have been better approaching someone from IA like Taylor Matthews—”_

_“Jake, Matthews hates me. I don't know why, but she does. So even if I need someone from IA to investigate him, I wouldn't go to her,” Ellie said. She looked at him. “I know that you don't want to be involved in any of this, but you are the only lawyer I know.”_

_“It's not about being involved. It's that I want you to have the best options available to you,” Jake told her. “You have anything to add to this list of things he's done or said to you?”_

_Ellie shook her head. “I saved the texts and emails he sent, which I gave you, but I don't have any witnesses to verify him showing up at my apartment building or that bar.”_

_Jake grimaced. “He has actually been stalking you?”_

_Ellie shrugged. “Maybe? It's really a matter of definition, since I can't prove that he was there to do anything to me, not in the bar, at least. I told him if he ever came by my apartment again, I'd have him arrested, and he laughed. It was like he didn't care.”_

_“And that was when you hit him.”_

_Ellie nodded. “He didn't take that seriously, either. I don't even understand how it got this far. When is no really not an answer to someone?”_

_“Oh, you'd be surprised,” Jake muttered, shaking his head. She frowned at him, and he winced. “Um... Let's just say that not everyone is pleased to have me reject their requests for warrants.”_

_She folded her arms over her chest. “No, that sounded a lot like you've been in this same position. You have been, haven't you? Someone harassed you like Evans is harassing me.”_

_“This isn't about me.”_

_“Maybe not, but you've been through this. You know what to do to make it stop.”_

_He sighed. “I found this was usually an effective deterrent.”_

_She watched as he lifted his left hand, showing off the band. That didn't help her, not at all. “I can't get married just to avoid unwanted attention.”_

_“I'm not married.”_

_Ellie could only stare at him. This changed everything she knew of Jake, and yet it didn't. It confused her. She didn't know what to think, where to begin. “I used the boyfriend excuse. That didn't work.”_

_“A boyfriend is not a husband just like a girlfriend is not a wife,” Jake said. “Trust me, I know the difference. There are still some people that don't respect the marriage vow, but enough of them do that it works most of the time.”_

_Ellie frowned. “I still don't... you had to do that? It... Not that I think people wouldn't be attracted to you—you're so nice and kind—this is getting weird. I just...”_

_“My family has money. A lot of it,” Jake said, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. “Let's just focus on getting Evans out of your life and possibly behind bars if we can arrange it.”_

_“Yeah. Let's... let's do that.”_

* * *

“You haven't said anything since we left NCIS.”

Jake winced. He hadn't known what to say. The reminders were all fresh, and he had gotten lost in thought as he did. Between thinking of some of the worst attempts that women had made trying to get his family's money and the unpleasantness of what had lead to that conversation about him using a fake wedding band, he hadn't wanted to talk. Not at all.

“I'm sorry. It just... there's a lot on my mind, and some of it is classified, so I can't even discuss it,” Jake said, getting a nod from her as they walked up to the restaurant. He opened the door for her, holding it, and she gave him a smile.

“I understand. I really am sorry for dragging you into all of this,” Ellie said, stepping inside. “This really is my problem, but you keep getting caught up in it.”

“I actually had a thought about that,” Jake began, and she frowned at him. He didn't know that she was going to accept this, so he'd hesitated before saying anything. “Let's finish this after we sit down, okay?”

She nodded just as the hostess approached them. She confirmed it was just the two of them, grabbed menus, and lead them over to a table. Jake let Ellie sit down first, and then he took the opposite side of the booth.

Ellie ordered a ridiculous confection as a drink, and Jake asked for water. The hostess disappeared, and Ellie started to fidget.

“I hate lying to them. All of them. Well, maybe not all of them. Abby, though. I hate lying to her. She's been so sweet and helpful, and I don't want to keep lying to her.”

“Which is part of what I was going to say,” Jake began, watching her frown again. “What if you started by telling one person the truth? If it bothers you the most that Abby is being lied to, why not change that?”

“So just tell Abby?” Ellie grimaced. “There's a chance everyone would know after that.”

“It would be in some ways a relief for you, I'm sure,” Jake said, trying to keep his tone gentle. He knew that this was a delicate topic, and he was hoping that he could handle it right.

“And for you.”

He reached over and took her hand. “Ellie, I can't pretend that this has been... easy for me. I don't do well as a liar, either. I use the band because people assume and then I'm done. I don't actually have to make up anything or tell them more than what the band implies. It's simple.”

“Which is why I got hooked on it, too,” Ellie admitted. “I thought I could just use it, but NCIS is different from the NSA. We're... we're family, and family knows things. They're in your lives, and it's complicated and messy, and having the lie there just made it worse.”

“So you start by telling Abby the truth, and you'll be able to free yourself from some of the guilt. I'll go with you to this dinner and we can do it then if you want.”

“In front of Abby's boyfriend?”

Jake winced. “Well, okay, that would be a bad idea, but Abby is still a good candidate for a test run. She would be the one who'd know how the rest of the team would react, and she's the heart of it, or so everyone says—”

“Actually, in many ways, I think that's Tony but no one would ever believe that.”

Jake frowned. “I think I can see that, but that's still not—”

“You can?”

Jake shrugged. “Some of the things you said about him, things I saw when we were at the airport, the way that you and McGee deferred to him. It's not much, but once you say it, you can find support for it. It's what both of us do.”

“Right,” Ellie agreed. “So... we're going to do this dinner?”

“It is supposed to be tomorrow night. Unless you think you can squeeze the conversation with Abby in before then—”

“No,” Ellie said, shaking her head, and Jake had his doubts that she'd have that conversation at all. He knew she didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to tell the truth, either.

He might have to do it for her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie tries to come clean and ends up complicating things further.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I had a perfect, adorable idea with this one. Apparently not. *shrugs*

* * *

“Abby?”

She turned, facing Bishop with a smile. She knew this wasn't about a case. She'd already given her report to Gibbs earlier, and she didn't have anything new. She wasn't going to get anything new. That just wasn't going to happen.

“Hey, Bishop. I heard Jake came by to sneak you off for a romantic lunch yesterday,” Abby said, and Bishop winced. “Not romantic? Was that because I told him about you not enjoying the party you went to with him?”

“No,” Ellie said, shaking her head. “We... we actually didn't discuss that.”

“Then what? You are looking all worried and serious,” Abby said. She stared at her. “Jake's not sick, is he? He can't be sick. That would be horrible. He doesn't have a disease that's going to take him from us like cancer or something, does he?”

Ellie frowned. “Abby, you've barely interacted with him. Why do you care so much about Jake and what happens to him?”

That had Abby frowning. “Why _wouldn't_ I care? You are like family, and that makes Jake like family. And I might not have seen you and Jake together for very long, but it's obvious how much you two care about each other. You would be heartbroken if something happened to him. So would we.”

Ellie grimaced. “This... is so...”

“Ellie, is Jake sick?”

Bishop shook her head. “No. He's not. He's fine.”

Abby let out a breath, relieved. She went over and hugged her. “I'm so glad. You had me scared for there for a second.”

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. It wasn't supposed to be like that at all. I'm just.. I didn't think... I didn't realize he mattered that much to anyone here. It...”

“Well, he does, and you can tell him that for me,” Abby said. “So... what did you want to see me about? Were you going to confirm our plans? Because I talked to Burt, he's good with tonight, and so as long as you and Jake are up for it—”

“It should be fine,” Bishop said. “I... I have to go. I'll see you tonight. You and Burt.”

“Okay,” Abby said, still frowning. That was an odd conversation. Maybe she should ask Jake about it. Later.

* * *

“We have to talk. Again.”

Jake looked up from his paperwork and frowned. He wasn't sure he was surprised by Bishop showing up, but then he had thought he wouldn't see her until later that night when they met up with Abby and her boyfriend. He never should have said he would go to that. He knew he hadn't had much of an opportunity to say no to Abby—he didn't think many people said no to Abby—but he should have. “Um...”

“I did a _horrible_ thing when I asked you to pretend to be my husband,” Ellie said, sitting down across from him. “Maybe even the worst.”

“You didn't kill anyone.”

“Well, not yet,” Ellie said, and he frowned at her. She sighed. “I do carry a gun, remember? I've had to use it before, too. I might have to do it again.”

“I find your choice of job... alarming,” Jake said. “Though... it was fascinating in the strangest of ways, too. Never mind. That's—we're getting off topic. Not that this is—what—”

“Abby really cares about you.”

Jake blinked. “Abby doesn't know me.”

“I know, and I thought you wouldn't matter to anyone at NCIS—that sounds wrong—”

“I know what you mean,” Jake said. He shouldn't be of any real import to anyone at her work. They didn't know him. He wasn't all that real to them, except maybe Tony since they'd spent that night at the airport together. Still, he hadn't gotten any sense of friendship or camaraderie or anything from Tony, either.

Ellie sighed. “I don't know what to do, Jake. I started to tell her that we weren't actually married, she thought I was telling her you were dying, and she got really upset. And then I realized... you really matter to them. Which... I guess I didn't understand. I didn't think they'd just... take to you like that. I should have because you are such a great person... I should have known. They'd all love you because you are a really good guy.”

Jake shook his head. He didn't really agree with that. He didn't see any reason why they should like him, but if they did... well, that did complicate matters to a degree. “I suppose that just makes it more clear that we have to tell them the truth.”

“We do?”

Jake frowned. She didn't mean that she wanted this to be something other than pretend. She just didn't want to deal with unraveling her lies. “You... yes, of course we do.”

She nodded, biting her lip. “Right. Of course. We do. We just... We start with Abby, like you said. And... I am so sorry.”

“It's not—it's okay. We're... fine.”

“Are you sure? Because I... As much as it probably doesn't seem like it, your friendship does matter to me, and I don't want to lose it. Definitely not over this.”

“You won't.”

She gave him a weak smile.

* * *

Ellie wanted to take Jake's hand, and she had to keep fighting the urge from the moment he met her at the restaurant. She knew that after tonight, it was all over, and that actually should be a relief. She wouldn't have to keep lying to her team—her friends. She would be in the clear, and she could stop feeling guilty all the time.

Still, there was a part of her that didn't want to stop. Not because she wanted to keep lying. She felt like she'd lose Jake when they admitted it, and that... it was wrong. He'd said it wouldn't happen, but somehow, she was still sure that it would.

Her hand went for his again, and this time she didn't catch herself. She only realized it when he gave it a squeeze. She looked up at him, and he smiled at her. He offered her reassurance that she didn't deserve.

“You two are so adorable,” Abby said, and Burt nodded in agreement. “The little things. The way you hold hands, the way you look at each other...”

Ellie grimaced. This was so awkward. “Abby, we should really—”

“Oh, look,” Abby said. “There's our food. I am starving.”

The waitress gave them each a plate, and Ellie wasn't sure if she was grateful for the fast service or cursing it. She knew that they needed to do this, and while the dinner wasn't the best choice—Burt didn't need to be involved—it shouldn't wait much longer. They couldn't keep doing this.

_Sure you could._

Ellie grimaced, wanting to bury that voice in her head before it got her in any more trouble. She was not doing that. She was ending the lie. She still felt like she owed him, but that didn't mean she couldn't make things up to him after telling Abby the truth.

“Something wrong with your food?”

Ellie shook her head. “No, it looks great.”

She forced herself to take a bite. It was delicious, and she wished that she hadn't ruined her appetite with all of this worry over telling Abby and trying to talk herself out of doing it.

“I think they switched our plates, actually,” Jake said, and Ellie frowned. This was what she'd ordered, wasn't it? “You got the larger portion and extra side, not me. Trade?”

She nodded, switching the plates with him. “Sorry.”

He shook his head. “Like that hasn't happened before.”

“I bet it happens a lot,” Abby said. “They don't know your appetite, Ellie. They might even be a little sexist and assuming all the food is for the guy.”

Ellie nodded. She really didn't want to think about that or go into it. She knew that it had happened in the past, too many times. Her date often got her food because no one believed she was capable of eating that much. That was another reason why dating was awkward, and she would rather not do it. At least Jake knew and didn't care. Other men had.

She didn't believe she'd just had that thought. She was not considering Jake like that. She couldn't. It was one thing to ask him to pretend to be her fake husband. It was another to actually date him, and she couldn't. She wouldn't.

“You are distracted tonight,” Jake said. “I've seen you eat whole menus before, but you're just poking at that plate.”

“Do you have something to tell us?” Abby asked. She took Burt's hand for a second. “Think I'm right? I so think I am.”

“What?” Ellie asked. “I don't—”

“I hate to disappoint you, Abby, but Ellie is not pregnant,” Jake said, and Ellie thought she just might be sick. “That's not actually what we wanted to talk to you about. Dinner probably isn't the best time for that conversation, though.”

“Did Ellie lie to me and you really are sick?”

“I'm not sick,” Jake said. “It's just that Ellie and I—”

“You're in counseling, aren't you?” Burt asked. Ellie blinked. Abby frowned. “You seem a little awkward with each other. The gestures are nice and all, but they have a bit of an edge, like they're not comfortable for you. I'm guessing you two have been fighting a little lately. Maybe a lot.”

“Of course,” Abby said. “That explains everything. The whole not seeing Jake for a year, the way Bishop was sure she would disappoint you about the charity thing, the way you two seem distant when you're not paying attention. I thought you were distracted, but you're actually having trouble, aren't you?”

“Um...” Ellie began, almost wanting to jump at that. If they were having problems, then she and Jake could split without ever admitting that she'd lied to anyone. “We... are... um... It... We haven't really seen much of each other since I started working at NCIS. That is true, but it's also—”

“It's fine,” Abby said. “You don't have to go into details. Couples don't always get along. It happens. We are totally okay with you doing what you have to do. I will stop going on about how cute you are—which you are, and I hope it works out—but no more pressure, okay?”

Ellie nodded, feeling both guilty and uncomfortable at the same time. “Sure.”

* * *

“So,” Jake said after Abby and Burt had gone toward their cars. “You want to let them think we have problems.”

Ellie sighed. “How'd you know?”

“Well, it seems like a simple, almost ideal solution.” Jake put his hands in his pockets, looking out at the lot and trying to pretend he wasn't freezing or hating the conversation they were having at the moment. “This way you just say that it didn't work out, and no one has to know that it was never real to begin with. No looking into the lie, no awkward explanation of why you did it—”

Ellie grimaced. “That reminds me—isn't that restraining order on Evans due to expire soon?”

Jake nodded. “Couple months from now, I think. The judge wasn't keen on giving you it for life, but at least it cost him his job.”

“Five years is not long enough,” Ellie muttered, shaking her head in disgust. “Those laws seem so ineffective.”

Jake didn't want to start down that path. That was an argument he wouldn't win, even if he mostly agreed with her. “You do carry a gun now. He might not bother trying. I'm not even sure where he is these days. You could find out.”

“I might,” Ellie agreed, “but I don't see the need to kick the hornet's nest.”

“Which is why you want to go on with the pretending and just let this... fake marriage die to the usual suspects. Lack of communication and a resulting lack of love.”

She winced. “That sounds so awful when you say it like that.”

“Statistically, they say that lack of communication is the leading cause of divorce, even if it masks itself in other ways.”

“I know. I told you that statistic,” she said. She sighed, wrapping her arm in his and leaning against him. “I don't know how to make this work... I don't... I would like to just keep lying, but then... how could I ever explain being friends with you if we did split?”

“Some people claim divorce is amicable.”

She shook her head. “I doubt that, and if we did 'divorce,' my team would hate you. That's not fair or right. You're a good person. And a good friend. I didn't even realize how good of a friend you were to me until... until very recently.”

Jake smiled at her. “It's not hard to like you, Ellie.”

She blushed. “Thank you. Still... you know more about me than... well, just about anyone outside of my family, and even they don't know that much because I could never talk to them about the work I did for the NSA.”

“Maybe you need to open up to your team more.”

“I will,” she said. “Just as soon as I figure out how not to lose you in the process.”


End file.
